The thought of robots as essential elements in the business is not new. The previous generation of robots was created to automate redundant tasks in a controlled factory environment which was known as industrial automation. Robots gave the ability to conduct difficult tasks with more consistency and accuracy. But autonomy was an important thing to have, and autonomous robots came which can move in an open environment and can interact with the elements within the factory setting.

The need for autonomy created a new generation in robotics technology with new opportunities and challenges. Scientists were kept busy with changes like navigation, vision, object recognition, manipulation, obstacle avoidance, and localization. Amazing discoveries came in the form of autonomous and semi-autonomous robots that can run and jump, talk and even do a backflip. As the field of robotics advances, autonomous robots can conduct more humanlike, complex tasks.

The most prominent challenges robotics face is finding meaningful applications financially feasible, so that common demographic cab adopt them. Advanced robotics stresses on engineering and solving engineering challenges. The IP generated in advanced robotics is valuable to make robotics more marketable.

Practical robotics is the most effective approach to commercializing autonomous robots. A problem is identified first in practical robotics which is usually labor-intensive task in an industry that has a severe shortage of workers. Agriculture is one such sector facing labor shortage and mining or construction workers exposed to dangerous situations that are physically harmful.

Automation can help alleviate these risk points. Once a practical application is identified with sufficient market, practical robotics will focus on using the technology at hand and adding more customization to develop a solution for automating tasks. Commercializing robotics will help in advancing the science of robotics.

The advanced robotics engineers, without realizing it, are highly dependent on practical roboticists for their future survival. There is a gap between what robotic engineers strive to do and the commercialization of their work. This gap must be bridged with a tight framework. Robotic engineers should be able to experiment and solve challenges without considering the commercialization aspect of it. To create a spinoff from these engineers, it is also necessary to have high business acumen with an understanding of technology and are involved in research and development.